


Don't chase the rabbit

by chancellorxofxtrash (PhoebeMurdivine)



Category: Etsusa Bridge
Genre: (altough the characters are not teens anymore it is mentioned they had been doing this for a while), Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, Gen, Pacific Rim AU, and guns in one scene, mentions of young soldiers (teens), there are injuries during battles and the scars resulting from that, there is some ship tease between Inui and Kugi but nothing happens between them, there's some death in flashbacks, there's some hand-to-hand sparring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-05 10:13:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6700831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoebeMurdivine/pseuds/chancellorxofxtrash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The two of them are either a dream team, or a ticking time bomb. Seiichi Kugi isn't sure he should take the risk, and Hayato Inui is not making his decisions easier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't chase the rabbit

„Yili...”  
„No.”  
„Anyone else? Really. Anyone.”  
„You know this isn’t something you can just pick and choose. Either him, or you can both sit without doing anything until someone new would come along.”  
Just because Kugi knew that his superior was right, it didn’t make him any less calm.

 

Kugi could barely remember the time before the Breach opened deep in the ocean. It was almost like a dream – that life without constant attacks from huge monsters. He wasn’t that young before the first attack – he was already a teen, but life was so different, it might have been a dream altogether.  
Seiichi Kugi was not the only teenager who ended up applying to the Jaeger Program. A lot of people did. He – and his partner – were just some of the few who could make it quick.  
He didn’t have a partner now, and this was the problem.

 

_Dodging his blows was as easy as breathing, and the rainbow-haired bastard did the same. The Etsusa Shatterdome did their candidate trials with hand-to-hand combat, but really, Kugi didn’t even notice the spectators anymore. There weren’t anyone else there in his mind, but the hands, the arms, the legs... him and his opponent with the ridiculous hair and eyes.  
They read each other’s movements like it was an open book, like they were already..._

 

It was Yili who told him later they went at each other for half an hour before Kuzuhara finally had enough and got between them.  
„I can’t be his partner. I’d probably strangle him in the Drift. Yili, please...”  
Okay. Now he was officially begging, and Yili cut it short with a glare.  
„No. You have a week to decide whether you’ll act like a grown-up, or not.”

 

Drift compatibility.  
Kugi was quite probably drift-compatible with someone with an idiot hair. (Seriously, what was the point of dyeing only the end of one’s hair? One would think someone like him would go big or go home.)  
He wanted to say that nothing was sure until they actually tried the neural handshake, but...  
But he had known better. He knew exactly how drift-compatibility felt.

 

 _He was in the shooting range, aiming and shooting at the targets, when he felt a presence close to him, and saw a rainbow flash from the corner of his eyes._  
_He turned around, pulling off the protectors from his ear, and even pulled the goggles off so he could glare at the bastard – Inui, that was his name, like he could have forgotten it – who was grinning._  
_„So, we are drift compatible.”_  
_„...”_  
_„Come on, I heard you had been looking for a new partner ever since the princess decided to stop going on missions. I thought you’d be happy about it, partner.”_  
_„...go away.”_  
_„Come on, don’t be like that.” Inui didn’t stop grinning, just stepped into the other lane, picking up earmuffs of his own, and raised his gun sideways, parallel to the ground, that’s how he aimed at the targets._  
_Kugi raised his eyebrows, but didn’t say a word._  
_Turned out to be the smart thing, because despite the way he held the gun it quickly turned out that Inui’s aim was perfect._  
_„Wow! Look at that! Pretty cool, huh? Do you think I could learn doing this in a Jaeger too? By the way, I appreciate you not saying anything about it. Maybe you already knew I would be good at it, huh, partner?”_  
_„Don’t call me that. And that’s not how drift compatibility works.”_  
_„So you do admit we are drift compatible.”_  
_Kugi slammed his own protection gear and guns down, storming out of the shooting range._  
_He waited to be reprimanded for his carelessness, but it never came._  
_Few hours later, when he went back, his gear and guns were packed away, according to procedure._  
_He tried to not think much about it._

 

He was walking through the giant machines when the conversation reached his ears.  
„What is gonna happen with the Shadow Lily now?”  
Honestly his ears instantly picked up the name of his Jaeger... his former Jaeger through all the commotion in the area, so he instinctively turned towards Misaki’s voice.  
He wasn’t surprised when he heard Jun answer.  
„Well, it’s not like Yili is gonna let anyone else drive the Lily, but her. So probably she’ll get picked apart, maybe some parts used up in other machines again.”  
„Brrrr. I wish you weren’t talking about these machines with _she_ pronouns.”  
„Well, the Sharp Ghoul is definitely a _he_ , if you ask me...”  
„Eeeek, enough!”  
That’s when Jun noticed Kugi, and just nodded to him – both ladies were sitting at the leg of the Shadow Lily – the huge, pitch-black Jaeger, with intricate blue-red designs all over it.  
„Did you come to see your new one? She is further down the hangar, you know.”  
Kugi shook his head.  
„No. I’m not even sure I’ll get to drive it.”  
Misaki blinked a few times in confusion.  
„But... don’t you have a drift compatible partner now... sir...?”  
Kugi ignored the question, ad just kept looking up at the Shadow Lily, and he just heard Jun’s voice.  
„Did you come to say goodbye to the Lily, then?”  
Kugi shook his head again, not looking back to the women.  
„The Lily was never really mine. I might have been the co-pilot, but the Lily was always Yili’s.”  
Now Yili moved up in ranks, and decided to stop going on missions – leaving Kugi without a Jaeger, and without a partner.

 _„Letting you two into the drift each other would most likely be either the worst, or the best decision the board had ever made.”_  
_Surprisingly neither of them said a word under Kuzuhara’s glare._  
_Kuzuhara’s face was scarred, and it was common knowledge he probably had more. Not a lot of people were able to pilot a Jaeger alone – and despite the health risks, Kuzuhara would never back down from something he could do._  
_That didn’t mean he escaped his missions unscatched._  
_„Inui. Out.”_  
_„Aww, man, aren’t we supposed to be like... joined by the hip basically from this point on?”_  
_Kugi glared, and Kuzuhara just pointed at Inui._  
_„So far we just have a very good guess that you two are drift compatible. You are not official partners. And even so, no one is obligated to spend time together. Out, before I throw you out.”_  
_So Inui backed out of the room, and Kuzuhara turned to Inui._  
_„I just have one thing to tell you. Yili Ei moved on without you, leaving you without a partner and without a Jaeger. Now you have a chance to have both. You just have to measure whether this is worth the trouble that is Hayato Inui.”_  
_When he walked out the door, he wasn’t even surprised that Inui was leaning next to the doorframe, with an impish grin on his face._  
_„Man, isn’t Kuzuhara cool? Like a real badass, isn’t he? Like in the movies, but in real life. You guys are so lucky to have him here with you.”_  
_„...yeah.”_  
_„So. Anyway. What did you decide?”_  
_„...”_  
_„Come on, partner.”_  
_„Don’t call me that.”_  
_„Oh, but you do want to go out again. That’s why you didn’t stop after that incident with that Cathegory Four...”_  
_Kugi whirled around, aiming to punch Inui in the face, but the rainbow-haired idiot kicked himself away from the wall, and evaded his attack, his grin not disappearing._  
_„This is really uncalled for. Hurtful, even. Why are you so against it?”_  
_„How many Shatterdomes were you there previously?”_  
_Inui tilted his head, counting._  
_„Two. This is my third one.”_  
_„Most people are not kicked out for being notoriously incompatible. It makes you think.”_  
_„I was transferred, not kicked out. Oh, I had piloted before, don’t worry about that. And you are compatible with the notoriously incompatible guy. It makes you think.”_

 

~*~

 

Kugi was standing in the training room, in a sleeveless shirt, and he just kept hitting the punching bag.  
Kuzuhara was not the only one scarred at the Etsusa Shatterdome.  
His left arm had burn marks all over it – unmistakeable old scars from a Jaeger suit burning into his skin. A constant reminder.  
„You know, if you want to relieve some stress, I can help.”  
...of course he’d turn up.  
He turned around, glaring at Inui, whose mismatched eyes glinted micheviously as he pulled off his sweater...  
Inui’s right arm had those very distinctive burn marks.  
They all had their own scars, in a way.  
Inui’s grin did not disappear as he climbed into the sparring arena, and just looked at Kugi, speading his arms.  
„Come on, partner. I will be your Tyler Durden.”  
„Does that mean that you are just a figment of my imagination? What a relief.”  
Inui laughed out loud at Kugi’s deadpan words – and if possible, his grin grew even wider when he saw Kugi following him, accepting the challenge.

 

It was just like before – this time they were actually alone during their fight, but as much as they cared, someone could have walked in, there’s no way they would have noticed.  
Quite a few of their hits connected – both with fists and feet, and they’ll most likely bruise tomorrow, but neither of them slowed down their movements.  
„What are you so afraid of?”  
„I am not afraid.”  
„I know your records. You were great with the princess – how come you can be compatible with both of us? My guess is that both of you basically emptied your brains out before going to the drift. I heard of pilots being able to do it. You are afraid, because you know you wouldn’t be able to do it with me.”  
„Why wouldn’t I?”  
Inui snorted, as if he knew already that Kugi was talking bullshit – so Kugi didn’t say a word – he just kicked Inui in the face – or at least tried, but he dodged, leaning back without really even trying.  
„I know your records too.”  
It was now Kugi’s turn to dodge a left-hook by Inui.  
„Well. Duh. The real question is...”  
Inui moved very quick, punching Kugi in the gut.  
„The real question is, what are you gonna do about what you know?”  
Kugi moved, kicking Inui’s feet out from under him – and Inui held onto him, so they both fell, but Kugi managed to keep his balance, putting his knee over Inui’s chest.  
Both of them were panting, staring at each other, and Inui wasn’t grinning anymore aither.  
„Tomorrow. Get yourself into Kuzuhara’s office. One chance. That’s all you get.”  
Inui started to grin again, Kugi was stoic as ever.  
„You mean one chance we both get.”

 

„No way in hell I’m letting you two into the drift inside a fully-armed Jaeger for the first time.”  
Some bystanders were surprised by Kuzuhara’s words – not the two men, or anyone who knew their track records.  
„You two are either a dream team or a ticking time bomb, there’s no other way to look at it. Let’s see in a simulation chamber if you can drift without killing each other.”  
„Five bucks that they can’t.” Kelly chuckled, while herding the two boys towards the preparation room.

 

Long story short – they did not kill each other in the drift.  
With Yili, Kugi was used to distancing himself of his emotions, and he tried his best not to remember the times before Yili.  
With Yili, the drift was almost non-personal, like it barely even happened to him, and both of them preferred it this way. They could work together on tactics and attacks, emotions and memories safely locked away. Unspoken agreements are useless between co-pilots either way – but it was such an understanding between them that they would not pry.  
Inui’s presence in his mind was fundamentally different from Yili, and even... the times before Yili. Before that it was all emotions, and thoughts and feelings everywhere.  
Inui was... just a presence. That was the best way to describe it. As soon as they got connected, Inui was there, everywhere, as if he had always been there, fitting in between Kugi’s own memories and feelings like he belongs there.

 

When they disconnected, and pulled off their helmets, he didn’t have to look at Inui to know he was grinning. Well, maybe this isn’t gonna be so bad...  
„Ooooh, you are smiling. I knew you could smile. Does anyone have a camera?”  
„Kelly, if I kill him after drifting, does that count as you winning the bet?”  
It was hard to tell who laughed harder, Kelly or Inui, but Kugi’s smile didn’t disappear either.

 

„Don’t open your eyes, either of you. Forward... slowly, slowly... hey don’t peek! Okay... now you can open your eyes.”  
It was Jun who led them in front of a big window, with a proud smile on her face – but soon neither men looked at Jun, but mostly at what was behind said window.  
It was a Jaeger – more slender than other models, but it still looked sturdy enough, and Kugi’s experieced eyes could see a lot of places where missiles, cannons, different guns could be stored.  
„Hayato Inui and Seiichi Kugi, let me introduce you boys to your Jaeger. She is Stray Alpha. Say hi.”  
Inui stepped forward first, admiration in his eyes as he looked up to the Jaeger.  
„Hi” he muttered.  
Kugi also stepped forward, just putting his hand on the glass, without a word.

 

~*~

 

It took three more days for them to actually get deployed.  
„I’m also going out, to secure the coastline.” Kuzuhara said, walking past the pair who were on their way to Stray Alpha. „Do not mess up.”  
„Thanks for the vote of confidence” Inui shook his head, before looking at Kugi, eyes surprisingly serious.  
„Think you’re ready for it?”  
Nobody else would have asked it. And Kugi wouldn’t have answered anyone else. Then again, no one in this building had been in Kugi’s head the way Inui had been. Not even Yili. Not like that.  
„Are you?”  
...then again,  he didn’t really answer either way.  
Inui still grinned.  
„Let’s go and kick some Kaiju ass.”

 

Even later, thinking back, Kugi still wasn’t able to say what went wrong. Or which one of them went wrong. One minute, they were busy pumping the Kaiju full of lead. The next moment, they were chasing the rabbit.

_...Kanae’s laughter as she happily bounced around him, when they turned out to be viable candidates for each other....  
...Inui’s parents saying they perfected their Jaeger, but they needed a third pilot, the three of them would rotate between the three different posts inside..._

 

The Jaeger program accepted candidates who, in any other war would have been considered too young. They could not be picky. Not everyone could be drift compatible. Not everyone can pilot a Jaeger.

 

_Kaiju’s claws closing around Kanae, ripping her out...  
Kaiju’s bodies crushing their Jaeger down, crushing his parents..._

 

Someone was screaming.  
Maybe one of them.  
Maybe both.  
Maybe neither.  
Maybe it was all in the drift, their minds screaming out.

 

When Kugi opened his eyes, the view around him was distorted, he couldn’t tell if he was in his old Jaeger or the one Inui and his parents used to pilot.  
Wait... that’s wrong.  
They had to be in the Stray Alpha.  
„Inui... Hayato!”  
The other man slowly raised his head, looking at him, breathing heavily.  
„...heh. Nice time to call me by my first name, Seiichi.”  
„We have to...”  
„I know.”

 

Then the Kaiju’s claws broke through the eyes of the Stray Alpha, one claw injuring Inui’s leg, another tearing through Kugi’s shoulder, just barely missing his head.  
They could barely sense Kuzuhara’s Jaeger coming up and ripping the Kaiju away.  
It was hard to tell which one of them thought of raising their own arms up, and just shooting, until darkness took them over.

 

~*~

 

„I’m gonna pull rank on you, Kugi, if you don’t lie back down. Right. Now.”  
Rescue teams had to pry them out from Stray Alpha’s broken cockpit, both of them unconscious and bleeding.  
Kugi pursed his lips, and glared up at Yili, but the woman would not budge.  
„Both of you were terribly lucky the Kaiju’s claw basically just grazed you. If that beast would have moved a little differently, he wouldn’t have a leg, and you wouldn’t have a head. Stop fidgeting. He’s alive. He’s resting. As should you. Your Jaeger is fixable as well. Nothing to freak out about. Rest already.”

 

Kugi had no idea how long was he asleep – but when he opened his eyes, there was a presence next to him.  
It took him a few moments to recognize him – he looked different without his contact lenses, without the pins in his ear.  
Which were against every military regulation ever either way, but nobody said much. Medical procedures are different, though.  
Inui was sitting next to him, on a chair, legs put up to Kugi’s bed – one leg clearly bandaged after his injury.  
„Let me guess you sneaked out.”  
Inui snorted a little.  
„They told me to rest. See? I’m resting my leg. They have nothing to complain about.”  
„...I think they meant you should lie down.”  
„Oh, if that’s all of the problem... scoot over.”  
Kugi opened his mouth the protest, but Inui already put down his legs, pushing himself over to the bed, and just lied down, without Kugi even moving.  
„I’ll kick you down.”  
„Nah, you won’t. If I fell down, there’d be a crash, which would make people come in, and then we wouldn’t be able to talk now would we.”  
Kugi looked at Inui from the corner of his eye, letting their eyes meet.  
„What do you want to talk about? Are you here to make sure that I won’t quit?”  
„Nah. I’ve been in your head. You wouldn’t quit, I know it.”  
„Maybe we should. What if we chase the rabbit again?”  
„Well I always thought that Wonderland is a fun place. I like the Chesire Cat.”  
„This isn’t a joke, and you know it.”  
Inui was quiet for a few moments, as they looked at each other wordlessly.  
„They probably won’t let us out to fight for a while” Kugi continued.  
„You really don’t have to point out the obvious.”  
Without Kuzuhara, they would have died. Without Kuzuhara also out there, the Kaiju would have rampaged through the city, before another Jaeger could have been deployed.  
„We are gonna have to work real hard for them to give us another chance.”  
He saw Inui’s grin appear on his face, and he felt his own lips moving to smile, as he looked away, staring up at the ceiling.  
„That’s the spirit, partner. Hey, we should have some cool catchphrase. Or a secret handshake.”  
„No.”  
„You are really no fun.”  
Kugi just turned his back to Inui, facing the wall instead.  
„I’m sleeping. You should too. Goodnight.”  
It was quiet for a few seconds, before he heard Inui chuckle.  
„Yeah. Goodnight.”  
The weight did not disappear from Kugi’s mattress, but he did not look back – just slowly let himself drift into sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I actually had a lot of fun writing this. This is completely unbeta'ed, so if you find anything, tell me please! Every fandom should have a Pacific Rim AU. Even a tiny one like this.


End file.
